Athletic shirt



p 2, 1929- D. LEVINSON 1,707,441

ATHLETIC SHIRT Filed Dec. 19, 1927 v @9225)" M11421 [U /4.90M

Patented Apr. 2, 1929.

' UNITED STATES I 1,701,441 PATENT. OFFICE.

DAVID LEVINSON, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOB TO WILSOII-WESTERNSPORTING I GOODS COMPANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OFDELAWARE.

ATHLETIC snm'r.

Original application filed August 26, 1925, Serial No. 52,577. Dividedand this applieat'ien filed December 10, 1927.

The present invention relates to athletic shirts and has particularreference to an athletic shirt adapted to carry an athletic supporterand to provide'a maximum degree of freedom of movement for the arms andshoulders of the wearer.

- Thepresent application is a division of my co-pending application,Serial No. 52,577,

for a 'combined shirt and supporter which has resulted in the issue ofPatent. No.

1,658,448, dated February 7, 1928.

One'of the objects of the present invention is the provision of a novelathletic shirt structure particularly" adapted to be worn over the usualshoulder 'pads of a football harness and adapted to permit a maximumdegree of freedom of movement of the wearer and. to carry an athleticsupporter.

Another object of my invention is the provision of-an athletic shirtstructure which is adapted to stretch about the usual heavy footballshoulder pads, and which may be worn with such pads inside the shirtwithout hampering the free movement of the players arms and shouldersduring the play, and without stretching the collar out "of shape.

Another object of my invention is the provision of a novel athleticshirt structure 3 adapted to be used in combination with a supporter, toadjustably carry the latter and retain the shirt in proper positionwithout the objectionable tendency of the shirt to bunch in the top ofthe football pants or to creep out of place. e

Other objects and advantages of my in- -vention will appear more fullyfrom the following descriptionand from the accompany- ,ing drawings, inwhich similar characters 40 of reference indicate similar'partsthroughout the views. I i

Referring to the drawings, Figure 1 is an elevational view of myathletic shirt, including an adjustable supporter;

Figure 2 is a plan view of the shoulder and'neck structure of myathletic shirt; and

Figure 3 is a detail view of the lower end of the athletic shirt takenfrom the front .with the supporterdetached at the front.

Referring to. Figure 1, the athletic shirt is indicated in its entiretyby thenumeral 5 and the supporter structure in its entirety by thenumeral 6, The shirt may consist of Serial 1T0. 239,041.

the front panel portion 7, .the back panel portion 8, shoulder gores 9and '10, a ring neck 11, and the sleeves 12 and 13.

The front. panel portion 7 may be formed of an integral piece with aback panel portion 8, or these may consist of two separate piecessewedtogether beneath the arms, and

both panel portions are formed with an upper curved boundary 14 adaptedto be secured to the ring neck 11. .The panels 7 and 8 are preferablyformed of jersey knit or flannel material adaptedto stretch-in ahorizontal direction as shown in Figure '1, and

the panels are'cut on lines15 substantially parallel with the top of theshoulder from the ring neck 11 to the sleeves 12.

The ring neck 11 is preferably formed of a double layer of. elastic knitmaterial folded back upon itself and secured by stitching to the-frontand back panels 7 and 8 and the shoulder gores 9 and 10. The shoulder.

gores 9 and 10 are also formed of elastic knit material and arepreferably made substantially trapezoidal in shape, having twoconverging sides 16 and 17, a curved edge 17 adjacent the neck band 11,and the opposide side 19 formed with two straight portions, or curvedsubstantially as shown. The shoulder gores 9 and 10 are cut from elasticknit material so that they are. adapted to .stretch in a directiontransverse to the body of the wearer; that is, up over the shoulder fromfront to back.

It will thus be observed'that the panel portions and shoulder gores areadapted to stretch with the neck band at their inner edges and tostretch uniformly to insure a smooth fit over any shoulder pads or otherharness that maybe worn: Furthermore, the trapezoidal or triangulargores are 1 adapted to stretch over the shoulder to permit the use ofextremely heavy shoulder pads without hampering the freedom of movementof the wearer and without drawing the neck band out of shape. Besidesconforming closely to the shoulder pads and holding them to the body ofthe wearer, the

gores 9 and 10 are adapted to stretch to a greater degree when the armsare lifted,

raising the shoulder pads.

The shirt is also provided an the; usual sleeves 12 which are secured tothe front and back panels at the curved armholes 20 and. to the gores atthe outer boundary 19 at a lll point well heyond the outer edge of theshoulder. lhe sleeves 12 may he provided with reinforcing at the elbows,consisting of double layers of material, and the lower edge of the panel7 is preferably cut away a; at 21 to form a concavely curved lower e ge.

Besides heing particularly adapted to he used over a football harness,my athletic shirt is provided with means for adjustably attaching thesupporter 6 which retains the shirt in adjusted position without anyunde sirable creeping up or hunching of the shirt in the football pants.The supporter 6 is made of elastic wehhing, similarly to the populartype of athletic supporter, this -elastic wehhing having considerablymore elasticity than the jersey lrnit or flannel material of this shirtportion 5. This sup: porter portion comprises the'front pouch or sack22, and the two diagonally extending leg straps 23. In accordance withthe usual practice, these leg straps are stitched together and to thelower end of the pouch portion 22 to extend at an angle therefrom fordrawing up over the outer sides of the buttocks.

To the upper end of the pouch portion 22 is stitched a multiple buttonfastening tab 24 for detachably securing the front part of the supporterportion to the lower front end of the shirt portion. lit is desirablethat this fastening tah have comparatively slight elasticity so that itwill serve as a firm securing surface for the buttons 25, and so thatpractically all of the elasticity or give of the supporter portion willoccur in the pouch part 22 and in the leg straps 23: To

this end, this fastening tab 24- inay consist of any heawy, relativelyinelastic material, but as illustrative of what I consider the preferredmethod of forming this tub, I make the body portion thereof of elasticwebbing and stitch across the outer face thereof, duck or some othersimilar fahric.

ilhe buttons 25 are arranged in two or more horizontal rows of threebuttons each, and these buttons are adapted to he fastened in one ormore rows of button-holes 26 in the shirt portion 5. These button-holesare re-enforced in the lMNlfy' of the shirt by stitching a re-enforoingpanel or hacking 27 of relatively inelastic fabric such as duck, to theinner side of the shirt, the button-holes heing worked in the shirt andin this re-enforcing panel. By fastening either row of buttons 25 inthese button-holes 26, two different heights of attachment for the frontpart of the supporter portion are obtained.

. The rear ends of the straps 23 are looped through horizontal slits28cut the rear tail portion 29 of the shirt. There are two or more ofthese slits 28 out in superposed relation in each side hip portion ofthe shirt to afiord an additional adjustment for the woman outer sidesof the shirt, and these slits are cut through the shirt material andthrough the two piles of felt. The three thicknesses of material arestitched together along the margins of the slits and around the outermargins of the felt ire-enforcing plies, and this stitching adequatelyprevents any unraveling of the shirt material.

it will he apparent that the two vertical adjustments for the front partof the supporter portion and the two vertical adjustnients through therear part of the supporter portion will afford a latitude of adjustmentequal to any requirements. These two adjustments for both the front andrear parts of the supporter portion enable the pouch portion 6 to hemoved either up or down in the crotch to practically any desiredposition for greatest comfort. By the mere unfastoning of the buttonsand the unlacing of the lacing strings 30, the entire supporter portion6 can be removed for washing or substitution. V

lit will thus he observed that l have invented an athletic shirt whichis particularly adapted to he worn with football harness and which willpermit a maximum degree of movement of the shoulders and arms of theplayer when suci harness is worn beneath the shirt. My athletic shirt isalso adapted to carry an adjustable supporter which will retain theshirt in proper position shirt in the football pants.

While l have illustrated and described a preferred embodiment of myinvention, many modifications may he made without departing from. thespirit of the invention, and l do not wish to he limited to the precisedetails of structure set forth, but desire to myself to all changesWithin the scope of the appended claims.

I claim: a V

L an athletic shirt for football players, the combination of a closed,circumferenelastic neck hand forming a relatively fiat rin having anouter edge of a greater circurn erence than its inner edge with anelportions forming the front-end rear 0 i said shirt, said panel portionshaving curved upper edgessecured to the outer edge of said elastic neckhand, and a pair of shoulder gores having curved inner edges secured tosaid elastic neck hand, said shoulder gorcs llll and panel portionshaving their adjacent edges secured together and said panel portions andgores being arranged to stretch eircumferent-ially with said elasticband.

' 2. In an athletic shirt for football players the combination of aclosed, circumferentially elastic neck band forming a relatively flatring having an outer edge of a greater circumference than its inner edgewith panel portions forming the front and rear of said shirt, said panelportions having curved upper edges secured to the outer edge of saidelastic neck band, a pair of shoulder gores having curved inner edgessecured to said elastic neck band, said shoulder gores and panelportions having their adjacent edges secured together and said panelportions and gores being arranged to stretch circumferentially with saidelastic band, said gores tapering in width toward said neck band, andsleeves secured to said gores and said panel portions. 7

In witness whereof, I hereunto subscribe my name this 8th day ofDecember, 1927.

DAVID LEVINSON.

